BAYVIEW — Good Cheer has completed the first part of its move to the new site of the food bank, retail goods collection and distribution center to Bayview.
The Good Cheer team has started taking donations of resale items for the thrift store at their new home on Grimm Road Monday.
The former Masonic Temple will house two separate components of Good Cheer’s work. The building was renovated in recent months to get ready for the changeover.
“One third is going to be our new receiving and distribution center and two thirds, our new Food Bank,” said Kathy McLaughlin, executive director of Good Cheer.
“Phase one of our building project was to transform the mason’s private meeting space into an item receiving and distribution center. We put in windows, uncovered existing windows, put in doors, added shelving, built workstations and put in a new floor,” she said.
This portion of the building will be used to accept items that will be resold in Good Cheer’s two thrift stores in Langley and Clinton.
“We will be using that room to sort, clean and price items, so when they are delivered to the thrift stores the items are ready to be placed on the retail sales floor,” McLaughlin said.
The former sorting area at the Langley location has been converted into retail space.
“It is a small room that in the last couple of years was stacked from ceiling to floor with donations,” McLaughlin said. “Lack of space restricted the flow of donated goods. With our new site we will be able to get items to our sales floor in a timely manner. That will equate to more sales; more sales equates to more dollars for our food bank operation,” she added.
Volunteers and Good Cheer staff are excited because the new site will let them work in more spacious quarters.
Chris Schrecengost, a volunteer, said customers have already taken a liking to the additional display space at the Langley thrift store.
“Some staff members were concerned with what we can put in the space next, because some of the furniture sold so fast,” Schrecengost said.
The food bank won’t move from Langley to Bayview until October, McLaughlin said. Moving the food bank will lead to more privacy for clients, easier access and more space for storage.
The thrift store will remain in Langley.
The gradual move will mean some adjustment for shoppers and clients. After all, Good Cheer Food Bank has served customersin Langley for more than 48 years.
Schrecengost doesn’t think that will be a problem. She said shoppers and people with donations have been very open to the new location.
People from Langley who are unable to travel to Bayview, especially the elderly or disabled, can contact Good Cheer and the food bank will arrange for delivery to their home. Call Good Cheer at 221-6454 for info.
